India's Record-setting Vikram-1 Commercial Rocket Pre-launch

India's Record-setting Vikram-1 Commercial Rocket Pre-launch

🚀On its first attempt, Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched their Vikram-1 rocket for its Mission Aagaman at 12:05pm India Standard Time (IST) (06:35 UTC) on July 18, 2026, to an Earth orbit of 455 km to deploy four payloads. "The era of commercial spaceflight has begun in India." India is now "the third country in the world with private orbital launch capability." 

Vikram-1's first stage was named for Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015). He was an Indian aerospace scientist, visionary educator, and the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.

The four payloads were:  
1) a self-developed experimental payload, the SCOPE satellite  
2) robotic arm technology demonstrator Embrace  
3) an ultra-compact satellite SOLARAS S3  
4) a German in-orbit technology demonstration payload

Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) (formerly Sriharikota Range – SHAR) is the primary spaceport of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), located in Sriharikota, an island in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The spaceport is located on an island off the east coast of India, surrounded by Pulicat Lake and the Bay of Bengal. 

Image Credit: Skyroot Aerospace
Dates: June 29-July 18, 2026

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